CLEVELAND — The last time the Cubs were in the visiting clubhouse at Progressive Field, they were celebrating a victory that, at least for fans of the long-suffering franchise, seemed like it would be a springboard to a World Series coronation a few days later at Wrigley Field.

In one corner of that joyous clubhouse after Game 2, veteran Ben Zobrist was answering questions from reporters in front of his locker as Kris Bryant, the slugger who might be named the NL MVP after the playoffs end, was getting dressed in the next locker and preparing for his own round of questioning.

Zobrist was asked about the importance of the first inning runs Chicago scored that game, a run that happened when Bryant singled with one out and Anthony Rizzo followed with a double off Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer.

That first-inning run in Game 2 sparked the Cubs to a 5-2 win. The combo was at it again in the fourth inning of Game 5, when Bryant led off the frame with a home run and Rizzo followed with a double, again off Bauer. Rizzo eventually scored the second run of a three-run inning that held up in Chicago’s 3-2 victory.

“You could see what happened after that,” manager Joe Maddon said about the duo’s back-to-back Game 5 hits. “They kind of put their pitcher on the ropes a little bit. We had better at-bats. We got our three runs.”

The problem is, that Bryzzo combo hasn’t clicked together much this series. Rizzo, who hits in the No. 3 slot in the lineup, is batting .294, but Bryant’s hitting just .118 out of the No. 2 hole.

They’ve had back-to-back hits exactly twice — the first inning of Game 2 and the fourth inning of Game 5. In fact, those are the only two games where they’ve both had a hit.

Game 1: Combined to go 0-for-7Game 2: Combined to go 2-for-8 with three runs and an RBIGame 3: Combined to go 1-for-7 (Rizzo had the hit)Game 4: Combined to go 2-for-6 (Rizzo had both hits)Game 5: Combined to go 2-for-6 with two runs and an RBI

The fact that the Cubs have only won two games this series — Games 2 and 5 — isn’t directly because they had those back-to-back hits. Obviously, thousands of factors play into the outcome of any baseball game, but that Bryzzo production certainly didn’t hurt.

If the Cubs are going to win Game 6 and force a Game 7, they’re going to need, to borrow Bryant’s phrase from Game 2, good things to happen right next to each other.